Still backdating this to keep them all in 2018 – posted 1/1/2019
The one thing I really, really disliked about the New York Marathon was the emphasis on buying stuff. I had been looking forward to the email newsletters until I realized that they almost only/always were pitches for the paid training programs, gear, other races, etc… money money money. So by the time they started pitching the MarathonFoto packages, including a full set of tips on how to make your photos come out well, I was totally turned off. When I got the pre-race “Last chance for $60 download!” pitch, I researched the company and saw Yelp reviews that complained the photos were lousy and high-priced. I avoided the start corral photographers. But… I regretted those decisions, and ended up buying the download package at $70 after seeing some great preview photos. If I had to do it over, I’d follow the tips, pose for everything, and spring for the pre-race package. The number and position of the photographers make for some truly special shots. And you get the full-res photos and permissions at that price, so it’s actually not that unreasonable. I was also looking forward to the promised video, but that turned out pretty light on personal content and it’s kind of cheesy. Here’s a selection of my favorite shots:


Post-marathon thoughts:
- Next time, I would:
- leave more time for the start
- bring fuel for the trip to the start
- wear give-away socks and put on fresh vaseline right before the start
- not take quite so many photos (I don’t regret that I did, but the 2nd time I wouldn’t want as many)
- as mentioned above, buy the pre-race photo package and pose for everything
- investigate the food bag more thoroughly and ingest or toss the heavy things
- Training went fine, and I’m glad I wasn’t more ambitious with it. CityStrides helped keep it fun!
- Despite the hassles and cost, it was amazing! If I only had the chance to run one marathon, I’m tempted to say this would be the one… but on the other hand I’m so glad it wasn’t my first, because it was hard enough without being new to the distance and the whole experience.
- The shirt is the nicest race shirt ever and I love wearing it!
- Dates and water is much better than Gatorade, but the caffeine gels are a great addition for the distance
- Overall, I’m so glad this was the central experience of 2018 for me!
great photos, great recap, and great to read some lessons learned! Im hoping to get a NYC marathon spot one year soon….this has helped!